Twilight is the best light.
Twilight. My most favorite time of the day, not just to experience, but to photograph. I have always loved watching the sun set on the horizon while beautiful hues of pink and orange overwhelm the sky. Now I get paid to do something I love, watch the sunset and take a photo while I'm at it. I don't think it could get any better than this.
Why do I love photographing at twilight? I love photographing at twilight because it gives the home a dreamy midnight feel and shows it off in a way that daylight can't. When I see a twilight image of a backyard pool,like the one above, it makes me wonder what spending a night with friends by that pool while the sun goes down would be like. I imagine us barbecuing, swimming, and enjoying the sunset. It makes me wish that backyard was mine. This is also why twilight photo shoots help your listing stand apart from the others. The online world of real estate listings is competitive. It's a dog eat dog world out there. You need to have the best price, best location, best features, and lastly the best photos. Photos are a huge factor in attracting people to your listing. Good photos make potential buyers go "Ooooh, honey LOOK at THIS ONE!". Twilight photos take that reaction to the next level. Twilight photos make them say "WOW! Can you imagine us by that pool on the weekends?!" BAM! They are dreaming of of themselves in that pool and are itching to go see it. Next thing you know, showing booked. Win.
So, who should order twilight photos? Anyone who wants to give their home a special look or attract more attention should order a twilight, but there are some key factors to getting the most out of your twilight shoot.
1. Lighting. The more outdoor lighting you have, the better. The way I explain it is "anything that glows, you better have it". you can have solar lights lining the path to your front door, a color changing pool light, spotlights illuminating your prettiest oak trees, candles by the deck chairs, or lanterns/hanging lights from the deck canopy. All these little touches make a big difference in setting the mood of your twilight shoot. The more the better. Just be sure to space lighting in a way that makes sense and avoids grouping lights together too closely.
2. Windows. As you can see in the photo above the windows are glowing a soft yellow, you can see through to the living room, and they are reflected in the pool. The more window the better. They add to the dreamy midnight feel of the photos and give an idea of what the home looks like from the outside in. For a twilight shoot make sure all lights near a window are on so that the window is illuminated, open blinds and curtains all the way, and keep yourselves, items yous want hidden, and animals away from the windows while shooting! When shooting a twilight the camera will see everything that is in view of a window. No photobombing allowed!
3. Location. For the most natural looking skies consider where the sun sets on the home and whether or not it usually has a decent view of the sunset. Try to book your twilight for a night when the sky will be partly cloudy. Clear skies are great, but lack the depth of colorful clouds catching the rays of the sunset. No sunset views where you are? Not to worry, we'll edit them in.
